Back Then
by Paper Flight
Summary: There are some things you can never get over. Maka Albarn refuses to open herself up to boys after the discovery of her beloved papa's womanizing, but she realizes that her weapon partner, Soul Eater, may be a little different.


**Back Then**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Soul Eater.

* * *

When Maka Albarn was five, her father used to pick her up and place her on his shoulders. She would sit proudly on her perch, observing the scenery regally – the desert sand of Death City bathed in a reddish-gold glow from the dying flames of the yawning sun. Spirit would reach up, his hand clasping the much smaller hand of his young daughter, and tell her that she was more beautiful and precious to him than the entire landscape.

"I love you, Maka."

"I love you too, Papa."

_When Maka Albarn was five, her father loved her and she loved him._

* * *

When Maka Albarn was seven, her father used to take her on walks around Death City after his missions.

They'd always stop by Death Robbins and pick up ice cream cones. She'd always get strawberry, while his favorite was butter pecan. Later, they would sit on a bench in the park, happily slurping their ice cream. Maka always managed to end up smearing it all over her face, and Spirit would lean over to wipe her face with a napkin (he always kept a stash in his pocket for these occasions).

"I love you, Maka."

"I love you too, Papa."

_When Maka Albarn was seven, her father loved her and she loved him._

* * *

When Maka Albarn was eight, her father and mother divorced.

She was too young to understand that half the time Spirit claimed to be hunting demons, he was actually in a cabaret club, surrounded by scantily clad women who were not his wife. But she was old enough to feel the sting of betrayal, like a slap to her face, and to feel the blow of abandonment, leaving a gaping hole in her heart.

"I love you, Maka," Spirit had pleaded with his distraught daughter.

But this time, she'd turned away from her papa, hiding her tear-stained face, and run away.

On that day, she learned to never trust men.

_When Maka Albarn was eight, her father loved her and she hated him._

* * *

Years later, Maka Albarn had resolved to become an outstanding meister like her mother and make her weapon into a Death Scythe that would outstrip her father.

There was just one problem. She couldn't find a weapon she was compatible with. She obstinately refused male partners, much to the surprise of the instructors, and none of the female partners had weapon forms that suited her capabilities and style.

* * *

When Maka Albarn was twelve, she sat by herself at a table at Shibusen's Annual Christmas Party.

A plate of food sat untouched in front of her. She got up and left the ballroom, wandering the lonely halls of Shibusen by herself. She heard piano music drifting down the corridor and followed it, because she had nothing to do and nobody to talk to.

When she opened the door to the music room, she found a boy with silvery white hair bent intently over the piano. She watched him and listened carefully. Because even though he was a boy, and Maka Albarn hated boys, she was captivated by his music. It was dark and sinister, some might call it creepy, but she was attracted to it like moths were attracted to light. When the boy finished the piece, ending the song in a loud cacophony of notes, he turned around and leered at her, baring white, jagged teeth.

"That's the kind of person I am." He examined her, to see if she was scared, but Maka Albarn didn't get scared. She liked people who were straightforward and didn't try to cover up their true personalities with simpering smiles and fake words.

Instead, she boldly stuck out her hand and introduced herself.

"I'm Maka Albarn," she proudly stated. But behind her bold exterior, she was nervous. It was her first time to willingly open herself up to a boy after her parents' divorce.

The boy smiled even wider, his shark teeth catching in the light, and he accepted her hand, shaking it firmly.

"I'm Soul Eater."

Later, when she discovered his weapon form, she found it ironic that he was a scythe like her father, but it steeled her resolve to make Soul a better Death Scythe than Spirit.

_When Maka Albarn was twelve, she found her weapon partner._

* * *

They were well suited for each other. Though he was a boy, and constantly made snide remarks about her appearance, he was completely loyal and was always there to support her.

At least, that's what she thought.

* * *

When Maka Albarn was fifteen, she felt like she was eight.

At first, she brushed it aside. Soul, of all people, would never betray her. She pointed an accusatory finger at the witch.

"Blair! You're deluding Soul's mind with your magic, aren't you?" Her voice was confident, but she was desperate.

Her partner gave a small, sinister laugh which sent shivers down her spine.

"You are such an idiot. Any man would pass on a short-stacked girl like you for a curvy, nice-bodied woman. It's so obvious."

When Maka Albarn was fifteen, her world shattered.

She couldn't think clearly and her vision was blurred from the tears which leaked out of her eyes, despite her best efforts to stop them.

"Men are such lowlifes. All you ever do is womanize," she screamed, but it wasn't Soul she was talking about. "Still," she continued, her voice now quiet, "after I finally decided to trust one of you…Unbelievable…" Her voice rose again. "You can all just die! Hey, Soul, you know how you said that women say unreasonable things? Well, is male infidelity any more reasonable, you dumbass?" The tears flowed freely down her face.

It was quiet. Then, Maka Albarn heard the words she never, _ever,_expected to hear spoken by a boy.

"How should I know? Cool men don't go around cheating, after all."

* * *

Later, although both were incredibly pissed and depressed by the revelation that Blair wasn't a witch after all and all 99 souls they'd worked so hard to reap had been confiscated, they also felt differently about the way the night had turned out.

She was relieved beyond belief that he wasn't like her father after all.

He felt slighted.

He was hurt that she had such little faith in him, though he'd never admit it to himself or to anyone, because it wasn't a cool feeling. They'd been partners for years now, each responsible for the other's life. He'd thought there were no cracks in their bond.

Unable to keep it in, the words tumbled out of his mouth. He gave her a sideways glance and asked her.

"Did you really think that I'd ditch you for the cat?"

She turned to look at him. His voice was indifferent and he looked straight ahead. She gave him the honest answer. Maka Albarn never lied.

"Yeah. I did. I thought you'd be just like Papa."

He masked the pain that her blunt words sent through him, like a sharp jab in his gut.

"I'm not like that," he said quietly. Right then, at that moment, Soul Eater Evans decided to prove to his meister that he wasn't like her father _at all,_ and that despite her…small stature, he'd rather be her partner than anyone else's.

"And besides," he continued, a smile now on his face. "I think you're pretty cool. I like you a lot."

She'd heard that before. Not with the same words and not from the same person, but that phrase was familiar to her. Back then, she'd heard it from a man with red hair. She didn't know, didn't really want to know, if they'd been true back then.

One thing she did know, however, was that the words just spoken by her weapon right now were completely sincere and honest.

She just smiled back, without saying anything, and the two continued their walk back home with a comfortable silence between them.

_When Maka Albarn was fifteen, her weapon Soul Eater liked her and she liked him._

_~end~_

**A/N:** I felt so bad for Spirit when I wrote this! I know the constant line breaks must've been a pain, but they were necessary for the format of the story (it would've looked even more confusing without them).

It is now 1 AM, so now I'm going to go and get some much needed sleep …

~Paper


End file.
